Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1061 — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= fire a shot. -_ Lena Castro of her father’s arrival. Ze The absence of their chief was still a mystery, and an unlucky occurrence in their present po- sition, and Corlies, who had successfully made the raid after Lenu Castro, was chosen chief for the occasion. Some of the Mexicans were sent to the wine cellar to make their way through the tunnel to the stables and get ready the mustangs; others were sent up to the roof to pick off the Texans below with their rifles, and the main party, under Corlies, were to make a grand rush over the dead, out of the main entrance, The Texans réloaded and awaited further operations, There was a pause, and all was silence except the groans of the wounded and the shrill screams of numerous night-birds, affrizhted by the unusual din about their homes iu the thick branches. At this instant, when all were intently watching for the appearance of the bandits in another sortie, a delicate hand, followed by a black velvet sleeve thickly covered with buttons, was quickly thrust through the bars of the big gate, and the key which Warlula, in his hurry, had left in the lock was turned. The gate opened, and Black Bravo, followed by a Tonk- away Indian in war-paint, sprung inside the grounds and disappeared within the lodge of the portero, just as the gate slammed against the spring in the pest and the bell clanged within the hacienda. As the bell sounded the bandits under Cor- lies, thinking that Don Brogado had returned, charged in a body over the dead and into the patio, The Rangers, whose attention was at- tracted by the bel! toward the open gate, were, for the moment, off their guarj, but met the charge firmly, dealing death at every crack of their revolvers. In this charge, when Big Foot and Reckless Joe were cut off from their pards, when the balls were cutting the air in every direction and the sudden fall of heavy bodies upon the pavements struck the ear each instant, Corlies sprung for Buckskin Sam, and pointing his pistol at his breast, pressed the trigger. But as the pistol belched fire Black Bravo sprung between the muzzle and our hero, and received the ball intended for Buckskin Sam in his own breast, falling to the pavement at Sam’s feet. At the same instant Corlies also dropped dead from a shot through the brain, fired by Reckless Joe, As Corlies and Black Bravo fell, the clatter of a hundred hoofs thundercd over the pave- ment of the patio, and Don Jose Castro, at the head of his Texas Mexicans, appeared upon the scene, A wild yell of relief and welcome broke from the bandits, for they thought, from the cos- tumes and countenances of the new-come’s, that friends had come to their relief. A rally-yell from the Texans brought Fight- ing Ben and his crowd, with Bill Lambert, from the stables. Their rifles were turned upon the new arrivals; but quickly lowered as the leader shouted: - “Viva DonSamwell! Viva Texanos! Down with the bandits of Don Brogado! Jose Castro has come for his child!” At this moment the bandits who had gained >the roof poured a deadly volley into the ranks of the hated Texas Mexicans, many falling dead from their mustangs before they could Warlula, the first to discover the new point of danger, with a war-cry sounding from his lips, sprung for the big cypress, “mounted, stopping an instant by the window to speak a word of encouragement, and inform Then he mounted still higaer up, and bounded upon the roof, Before him were half a dozen bandits, firing down upon the patio, their backs turned to the Tonkaway, Quickly the long scalping-knife cut the air, “and loud sounded the Tonkaway war-whoop, as the glittering steel was plunged alternately into the hearts of three of the cut-throats before ,the others comprehended their danger, and sprung upon bim with clubbed rifles. One more falls, his breast cloven with a terrivle blow from the red son of the prairies, who grasps a rifle descending upon his head and is grappled in a death embrace by the most powertul of the bandits. While the other is about to deal the Indian a death-blow trom behind, he is himself caught in the arms of another Indian, that has apparently dropped from the clouds, who buries bis knife deep in the breast of the Greaser. Warluia aud the burly bandit struggled * - > Ne Pee . - ‘ “as * "e ‘ Buckskin Sam. fiercely, neither able to gainan advantage, the Indian not daring to loosen his hold on the rifle, and each glaring hate into the other’s eyes. Back and forth over the dead, slipping in the gore upon the roof, they go, locked in an em- brace which can loosen only with the death of one or the other. The strange Indian, who arrived upon the scene so opportunely stands with one foot upon the bandit he has just slain, and draws a delicately formed and highly ornamented bow from the quiver at his back, together withgan arrow. Watching the fearful struggle before him he fits his arrow to bow, and with eyes like the sky-soaring eagle blazing with the fury of war draws the bow, and sends an arrow hissing intc the very heart of the bandit, the feathered shaft resting against the cheek of Warlula, as it quivers at the sudden meeting of bone. One fiendish yell, a scowl of intense hatred, a gurgle and spurt of blood from mouth and nostrils and the last foe upon the roof of the hacienda sinks at the feet of the panting War- lula. | The Tonkaway turns upon his heel and con- fronts his preserver, who stands in silence be- | eee sss fore him with heaving bosom and modest mien. Warlula gives a glance, ’tis but a lightning- look, then, with his war-cry sounding, and | blood-dripping knife cutting circles in the air, he bounds into the cypress, for the sounds of | war fill the air, and he is wild with the insanity | born of battle and blood. His white brother is in danger, and he is soon at his side, shoulder | to shoulder with him, fighting like a fiend. CHAPTER XXL THE END OF A LONG TRAIL. Upon the bandits being satisfied by the words of Don Jose Castro and the firing of his ' men into their ranks, that the mounted Mexi- | cans were their foes, and from Texas, their fury knew no bounds. They became desper- ate and strove to cut their way through the ranks of the Rangers, to get at those they hated and detested more a thousand times, than the whites. For afew moments there was a rapid ex- change of shotson both sides, the men under Don Jose firing over the heads of the Rangers with their carbines and revolvers, In the midst of this terrific hail of lead the attention of the combatants was drawn toward the stables by wild yells and cheering, and there mounted upon mustangs, were a score of bandits, who had escaped through the tunnel in the cellar, As they came thundering over the pavements toward che mounted men under Don Jose, a cheer arose from the hard-pressed and thinned ranks of their comrades at the porch, who were at this moment forced, by a desperate charge, headed by Joe, Sam and the Fighting Thomp- _ sons, back into the hacienda. There were not over a dozen of the Mexicans sess sss left, as they retreated once more into the din- ing hall and barricaded the door, The Rangers leaned on their rifles exhausted, and blood and powder grimed, gazing upon the charge of the mounted bandits, who came on from the stables at a reckless gallop toward the followers of Don Jose Castro. The tramp- ling of many steeds bad broken down the bordering shrubbery, until the patio was its original size, leaving quite an open space for the conflict of ‘‘ Greaser ag’iun’ Greaser,” as Big Foot remarked. During the fighting Don Brogado remained tied to the tree ip the shadows. He had been forgotten by those who placed him there, and not been discovered. by the others. He ground his teeth, as much as the gag allowed, in insane fury and madness, as he saw his men fall like the dry leaves of the forest; but as his bated enemy, Don Jose, appeared upon the scene, the bandit chief struggled, foamed at his mouth, and at last. wrenched himself free by one almost superhuman effort, tore the gag from his mouth, and, as his men charged upon their mustangs from the stables, he rushed across the patio like a bounding buck, and met them in plain view of all upon the grounds. | At the moment Don Brogado reached his men, who recognized him with a yell of joy, one of the number dismounted and passed his saber to his chief. Don Brogado sprung into the saddle, with a diabolical yell, whirled his saber in circles through the air, drove bis spurs deep into the . flanks of his mustang, and at the head of hie cut-throat band, charged down upon Don Jose and his Texas Mexicans, The instint that the mounted bandits emer- ged from the stables Reckless Joe sprung to- ward the big-gate, exclaiming: : ‘“* Hang out your banners on the outer wall, close up your gates, the cry is still they come!” Shutting up the gate to cut off all retreat, be sprung back to the side of his purd, Sam, yell ing: ‘*Come on, you mangy scum! Come o and darned be he who first cries hold. I have quantum sufficit! Brace up, boys, and hur! the demons into the pits of doubled-distilled dam- nation!” ‘“Hold, Joe, follow us! We've got to be mounted to cope with those fellows, for they are going right through Don Jose’s party. | Come on, boys, for the stables!” and the two life-long pards, Joe and Sam, together with Bill Lambert, the Fighting Thompsons, Ben and Bill, and also Big Foot, rushed around the hacienda, and securing each a mustang, which had been left ready saddled by the bandits, they galloped madly toward the patio, ta the aid of Don Jose and his men. Meanwhile the mounted bandits and Texas Mexicans were fighting like tigers, and the Rangers left behind, at the main entrance, were shooting the bandits from their horses with Sbarp’s rifles. Don Brogado strove hard to reach his enemy, Don Jose; but the latter’s men protected their aged leader heroicaliy, The bandit chief when, at last, he had but four men left able to fight, was reinforced by those from the dining-hall, who had recognized the yell of Don Brogado, and rushed out the unwatched back entrance; and all, pressed against the east wall of the hacienda, fought for dear life. Those on foot made a dash into the shrubbery and captured each a horse from. whose back the owner had been shot. Then they gathered together around their desperate. chief, who, yelling like a fiend incarnate, once more ordered a charge upon Don Jose and the men who were alive and standing firmly by their aged leader. But now the mounted Rangers came at a break-neck gallop upon the patio, and cut the bandit chief off from his contemplated revenge. ‘* Down with the murdering ladrones!” yelled Buckskin Sam. ‘But save Don Brogado! We. want bim alive!” Sam, followed by his friends, each with his Colt’s revolver presented, came like an ava- lanche upon the last forlorn hope of the bandit gang, and amid the rattling fusillude every follower of Don Brogedo fell, pierced with balls, and the bandit chief found himself the center of a circle cf deadly tubes, a tiger at bay, frothing blood from his gag-wounded mouth, — ‘‘Leave him to me, gentlemen,” cried Dom Jose Castro, dismounting from his mustang, aud drawing his sword. ‘‘He has wronged me and mine more than human heart can con« ceive,”’ A quiet gleam of satisfaction overspread the brutish features of the bandit chief, as the circle of Range*+ parted, allowing an opening toward the appscaching Castro. ‘‘Dismount, you dog of a murderer!” shouted Sam. ‘* You despoiler of Christian homes and seducer of virtuous maidens! Face him from whom you stole father, mother, wife and child!” ’ With a gleam of intense ferocity the bandit chief sprung to the bloody pavement and rushed at Don Jose, their swords clashing to- gether <3 the Rangers surrounded them, to prevent tho escape of the robber chief. Knowing that beforo him was the man who had caused him a lifo of intense misery, and brought him to age and gray hairs before hig time, who had murdered his saintly parents upon their own bearthstone, and torn his wife and daughter from his arms, Don Jose fought with a consciousness that justice governed each stroke of his sword. Knowing that naught but death awaited him Don Brogado fought with a desperation, born of despair, hate, and madness. | Up and down the patio, over dead and dying, amid pools of gore, fought the panting men, neither gaining advantage, as steel clanged to steel, and sparks flew right and left. But now new-comers appeared upon the scene of carnage and fierce passion. An Indian, leading Lena Castro, who clings to Ler insane mother; and in their front Pan- S , j , t ' oe é we > a Ld - . a Ot ae a. a +5 be % : i, Me = s 7 — . ~ = oe r ‘ col ~€omicbool